Weeks later, after finishing her training, Aisha followed her usual routine and went to Blue Dae’s room. But as soon as she stepped in, she heard him speaking in a calm, steady voice:
“I’m planning to go alone, to check on the current state of the Allied forces.”
Aisha froze, her eyes widening in shock. “Are you insane? That place is so dangerous—how can you go there alone, as just one insect?!”
For a moment, she thought she had misheard, unsure if Gu Qing was joking, only to be completely stunned by his composed expression. She had never imagined—Gu Qing would choose to face danger alone.
Milton stood by the window, expression neutral, but a trace of concern lingered in his eyes, as if he had anticipated this. He asked quietly: “When do you leave?”
Aisha’s shock deepened. She turned to Milton, nearly shouting: “You’re not stopping him? You… you’re supposed to care for him! How can you just watch him go off to die!”
Milton turned to her, calm and measured. “Precisely because I care, I know he will do this.”
Though his voice was steady, his gaze involuntarily lingered on Blue Dae, as if trying to imprint his image onto his mind. He paused, then added with firm resolve:
“I’ve already prepared a small reconnaissance vessel, enough to bypass military monitoring systems.”
“What?!”
Aisha’s face drained of color. She paced the room frantically, grabbing Blue Dae’s clothing. “You just decided this all on your own? What if something happens to you? Do you even know how unstable the situation is out there? And you—an alpha—how are you going to pilot a reconnaissance ship?!” Her words grew faster, more chaotic, the fear bleeding through the agitation in her voice. She could not accept Gu Qing simply leaving like this.
Blue Dae met her gaze, voice firm: “Some things require an insect to step forward.”
Aisha snapped up, nearly yelling: “It doesn’t have to be you! There are plenty of insects here—others could sneak out!”
“They cannot defy military orders,” Blue Dae replied softly. “And the nobles are watching. If Milton acts rashly, it would provide them an excuse to strike. His presence here stabilizes the troops. If the situation collapses, he can immediately take command.”
Aisha opened her mouth, but no words came out. She could only stare at Blue Dae, chest heaving violently. Anger and fear churned within her; she wanted to scream, but felt trapped like a caged cub, helpless as he walked toward the storm.
Blue Dae lowered his gaze to meet hers, voice gentle yet resolute: “You and Milton stay here and wait for me.”
In that moment, Aisha stared at him, a storm of complex emotions reflected in her eyes. She wanted to speak, to hold him back, but all words lodged in her throat.
“You’re supposed to be the most cautious one… how could you…” she murmured, voice almost inaudible.
As Blue Dae and Milton turned toward the exit, Aisha suddenly snapped out of her stupor and ran after them.
The three insects reached the hidden hangar where the reconnaissance vessel was stationed.
Before boarding, Milton meticulously inspected the ship’s weapons and defense systems, ensuring everything was in perfect condition. He activated a secret communications channel and coordinated with the Orc and Merfolk representatives in the Ares system, ensuring Blue Dae could receive immediate support upon arrival.
Aisha, still jittery, asked: “Are you sure you can contact the representatives once you get there? Will they respond immediately? What weapons did you bring? How long can this ship hold up? What if you’re surrounded? Are you really prepared?”
Milton frowned slightly, replying with steady calm: “Everything is prepared. Weapons and defenses have been tested. The communication system is secure and the network deployed. Gu Qing knows how to handle it.”
But Aisha could not calm down. She held Blue Dae, eyes full of anxiety: “I just don’t want you two to… just go like this…”
Blue Dae looked at her with serene determination: “Aes, I promise—I will come back.”
Aisha stared at him, fingertips clutching his clothing like a cub unwilling to let go. In the end, she slowly released her grip.
As Blue Dae turned away, Milton called to him, pulling a sleek black metal ring from his uniform pocket.
“This is a mech-space ring. It contains a mech that can deploy instantly on the battlefield. Inside are two spare energy cores and a remote emergency response system.”
He placed it into Blue Dae’s palm, gaze unwavering, voice a near-whisper: “No matter what, you must come back safely.”
Blue Dae looked down at the ring, then met Milton’s eyes. After a long pause, he softly said: “Wait for me.”
He did not promise victory, or safety—just those two words, yet they carried more weight than a thousand assurances.
Milton said nothing further, only watching, as if trying to imprint Blue Dae’s image into memory. Slowly, he spoke: “You will return. No breaking this vow.”
Blue Dae stepped into the reconnaissance vessel. Just as the hatch began to close, Aisha burst forward, eyes red, shouting:
“You bastard! You better come back!”
The voice was raw, torn—her fear not for the war, but for him. She had never felt such dread: the thought that he might never return.
The ship launched, silver light streaking across the void. The corridors of space fell silent except for the whisper of wind.
Milton remained standing, silent for a long time, purple eyes scanning the endless stars, following the receding trail of light.
He murmured: “…Please… survive.”
Aisha, too, stood as if emptied of soul, eyes locked on the vessel’s retreating glow. She had never longed for strength, status, or the right to stand beside someone so fiercely, as she did in that moment.
The stars gradually quieted. Blue Dae piloted the reconnaissance ship through the void.
Little Tian Dao floated above the cockpit, excited and curious, darting around as he exclaimed: “We’re going to rescue the Allied forces, right? By the way, when did you learn to pilot a recon ship? Weren’t you always just drinking tea, teaching insects, walking, tricking insects—uh, talking, right? Did you secretly train?”
Blue Dae’s hand gripped the control stick, expression calm: “Besides tea and chatting, I still do real work every day.”
Little Tian Dao’s jaw dropped: “Whoa! No wonder you’re Sword Sovereign! Even tea and slacking make you stronger. You can pilot a recon ship like nothing—this brain is broken! Too insane!”
Before he finished, the ship’s sensors shrieked an alert. Red lights flashed wildly, alarms blaring. Several streaks of light, like meteors, suddenly surged from behind, locking onto them—a previously unseen Black Market fleet bearing down like a storm!
“We’ve been targeted!” Little Tian Dao curled into a small ball, voice frantic: “What do we do? A bunch of weird ships are chasing us! Who are these insects? Why are they after us?!”
Suddenly, a comm channel cut in. The screen displayed a ruthless, snarling face—the Black Market leader, bellowing:
“An insect is requesting a visit to the Black Market! Keep your shields up. Don’t think a single recon ship can overturn our world!”
Blue Dae’s expression remained unshaken. He unleashed his mind’s awareness, sharply analyzing every ship’s movement and firepower around them.
The reconnaissance vessel surged forward like silver lightning, weaving nimbly between enemy ships.
The Black Market leader sneered coldly, then roared:
“If you won’t obey… then we’ll act!”
Bang—
Energy cannons fired in unison, screaming through space. Explosions and shouts erupted; their own fire hit friendly units, sending the enemy into chaos.
“Speed—what is this?!”
“It’s dodging our fire? Calculated its path in advance?!”
“Stop shooting! At this rate, we’ll wipe ourselves out!”
“Lock on! Lock on! Turn—missed again!”
Blue Dae watched the chaotic enemy formation, lips curling in a cold smile:
“Too slow. Next time, pick a formation that won’t get hit by your own team.”
The leader, veins bulging with fury, screamed: “Surround it! Don’t let it escape! I refuse to believe one recon ship can defy us!”
At that moment, a streak of light tore across the starfield ahead. The radar flickered wildly—a meteor swarm had arrived!
“Crap, meteors! Shields up, scatter!” The Black Market fleet panicked, dispersing hastily.
The meteors rained down like fire, brilliant against the darkness. Amid the chaos, the reconnaissance ship shot straight into the heart of the swarm.
“Is he crazy—he’s going into it?!”
“No… he’s dodging inside the meteors?!”
Blue Dae scanned the fragments with his mind, the shards slicing past the ship like blades. The vessel moved like a ghost through the fiery storm, deftly avoiding deadly fire.
The Black Market members gaped in disbelief:
“What kind of creature is that?”
“Never seen an insect pilot a recon ship like this—he must be a war god!”
Little Tian Dao screamed hysterically, pitch breaking: “Sword Sovereign, you’re insane!! Using meteors as weapons—your reflexes and strategy are absurd!”
Blue Dae replied lightly: “Shut up. Stop distracting me from tracking the trajectory.”
The ship streaked through the stars like a meteor, vanishing from enemy radar in an instant.
The Black Market leader ground his teeth, pounding the console: “Pursue it! The prince wants him alive! If we fail… none of us will survive!”
The bridge froze instantly. Every member of the Black Market knew—fail to capture him, and this time, they were truly doomed.